Be sure to join me online for the next live Google Hangout on Thursday, October 16, at 7:00 PM to talk about local ballot measures and what’s at stake for medical cannabis in the November 4 elections. Voters will decide on twelve measures related to medical cannabis in ten different cities and counties this year. There are important legislative races that will help to define next year’s political landscape and an interesting development in the race for Attorney General (see the News section for more details on that).

A live Google Hangout is an interactive event you can join from your computer or mobile device. Click on this link a few minutes early to get signed in for questions and comments:

Your participation in local and state politics matters, so get informed and get out and vote! You can learn more bout where state and federal candidates stand using ASA’s Vote Medical Marijuana website. Read more about this powerful tool in the Website Spotlight section below.

Remember that the deadline to register to vote at your current address is Monday, October 20.

California & National News

The medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has produced a new 30-second online advertisement to launch its survey drive for for this year's election-cycle educational campaign. The ad will also air on this Sunday's morning cable news programs in Detroit, Philadelphia, Sacramento, South Florida, and Washington State. As part of its groundbreaking "Vote Medical Marijuana" campaign, ASA has sent out more than 2,000 candidate surveys to help patients and the general public make more informed electoral decisions based on candidates' positions on medical marijuana.Read more here:http://www.safeaccessnow.org/medical_marijuana_advocates_survey_federal_state_electoral_candidates_ahead_of_november_elections

---Pro-Weed Voters Should Not Ignore the Election (California)David Down, East Bay Express

The deadline to register to vote in the November 4 election is October 20, and cannabis activists are warning that progressives and young voters should not ignore the so-called "off-year" election. Voters in 2014 will, in effect, be deciding if they will continue to be denied access to medical marijuana and whether they will be getting recreational weed stores in 2016, said Ellen Komp, deputy director of California NORML.Read more here:http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/pro-weed-voters-should-not-ignore-the-election/Content?oid=4092102

On a recent Saturday, the ACLU of Northern California Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Chapter held its meeting at a local pizza restaurant in Redding. The room was packed with medical marijuana patients deeply frustrated by unfair efforts of local enforcement to deny them access to their medicine.Read more here:https://www.aclunc.org/blog/dont-deny-sick-patients-access-their-medicine

Three armed men were arrested near Angel Camp the evening of Saturday, Sept. 27, on suspicion of robbing a medical marijuana garden. Donald Keith Bailey, 30, of Burbank; Robert Merrell Cottrell, 57, of Copperopolis; and Daniel Jeffrey Parsons, 35, of San Lorenzo, were arrested about 9 p.m. at the garden site on MJB Ranch Road off of Pool Station Road.Read more here:http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_002c4f06-4db4-11e4-afc4-e7cbddd2535f.html

12:00 PM at City Hall, Room 400, 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102. The hearing concerns an application for a permit for SPARC, one of the city's finest patients’ collectives. You can speak in support of item #12. Watch the event live on Channel 78 at http://www.sfgovtv.org. Email don@safeaccessnow.org for details.

---March 27, 2015 – ASA’s National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference 2015 (Washington, DC)Join us March 27th – 31stfor the biggest and most important medical cannabis conference yet. Early bird and ASA member discounts are now available. Save money on registration, travel, and lodging by registering now. For more information: http://www.nationalmedicalcannabisunityconference.org

Court Support

Thursday, October 16, 2014 – Court Support for Heath Phillips (Sacramento)8:45 AM at Sacramento Superior Court, Dept. 9, 720 9th St, Sacramento, CA 95914. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendant.

---Monday, October 20, 2014 – Court Support for Mark Shoemaker (Redding)8:30 AM at Shasta County Courthouse, Dept. 2, 1655 West St, Redding, CA 96001. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendant.

ASA-CCSA is a membership-based email discussion list about local and state medical cannabis legislation, initiatives, referendums, and related litigation in the state of California. Unlike this weekly email, you can respond to messages on ASA-CCSA and share your response with everyone. The purpose of the list is to facilitate dialog and participation by movement and industry stakeholders. Respectful and courteous participation, conversations, and debate are welcome.

A patient in California can be denied a life-saving organ transplant solely based on the fact that he or she uses medical cannabis! Legal patients have died after being removed from the organ transplant list, and others are in jeopardy right now. Americans for Safe Access, the nation's leading medical cannabis patients' advocacy organization, proposes legislation to prevent anyone from being denied a transplant because of medical cannabis. Sign this petition to let lawmakers know you support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act to provide equal access to health care for legal patients.

ASA is the nation’s leading medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization. The patients, medical professionals, scientists, concerned citizens, and other who comprise ASA are committed to promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA works in partnership with state, local and national legislators to overcome barriers and create policies that improve access to cannabis for patients and researchers.

ASA Website Spotlight

Be an informed voter. This is a powerful tool for voters who care about medical cannabis. Find out where candidates stand on the issue, request a voters’ guide, get connected directly with your elected representative, and more. This is also where you will find ASA groundbreaking political ads targeting candidates that oppose safe access.

The “California Weekly Roundup” is a once-a-week email for ASA Members and Friends that focuses on relevant news and important updates, action alerts, meetings and special events. Send items for the California Weekly Roundup to CARoundup@SafeAccessNow.org before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's distribution.